POA1

Realistically, I buy the length of voyage thermal pass, how much heated lounger time can I expect? I guess I'd be thinking in terms of hours per day or something like that. Also, is there a reservation system to to prevent ceramic lounger hogs?

No one ever mentions my favorite, University of Washington alumni sports season ticket holders. I went to school on the east coast, so this does not apply to me. Not even close. I just admire this for the sheer, narrow focus of it. https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/cruise-deals/community-appreciation-cruise-offers/uw-alumni-community-appreciation-offer

On the Nieuw Statendam in December, we never waited. However, we avoid the busy times. We eat breakfast early and dinner late. If you assume most people go to dinner with the intent to take in a show, you'll know when the busy time is going to be.

Will do. Thank you.

You'll be shocked to hear this, but the Navigator app does not always accurately show dressy nights. We have an upcoming 9 day Southern at the end of the month. I know it has 2 dressy nights. The app has Smart Casual listed every single day. The website shows two April 2nds and no April 1st. You might think it's an April fool's joke, but having used the website before, I know better

Probably 4, but it could be as many as 6. It depends on whether it is a straight 25 days or a voyage composed of multiple cruise segments. Your PCC or TA can look it up for you.

You probably needed to upgrade to Stream for extra memory. 😉

@canadianbear What app are you using for your map? It looks like it does a nice job of mapping. I use the paid version of MarineTraffic because it is great to track everything in and out of Port Everglades. However, it kind of falls down on generating a map while you are on the ship.

What was the upgrade cost from HIA Surf to Premium?

The Internet Packages changed a few weeks ago. There's Surf, Premium & Stream. (They really missed the chance to call the high-end plan "Streamium.")' Can anyone who's been on since mid-February 2024 tell me if Surf, which is your basic Have-It-All internet plan, still supports Wi-Fi calling? Our carrier and our phones handle it fine, so it's just the ship I'm worried about, We had Premium in December 2023 and purchased it a la carte. Our Wi-Fi calling (T-Mobile) worked fine. I don't see anything in the service descriptions that lead me to believe that it won't work under Surf, but there's got to be some sort of differentiator now that they've added the new plan level. I'm worried that I won't get the annoying political texts and chances to buy an extended car warranty when I am on the ship. 😉

You have to have 1 star status. If you have cruised with any of HAL's sister lines (Princess, Seabourn, Carnival, Costa, Cunard, P&O, or AIDA) you are entitled to one star status. That gets you the tile, embarkation lunch in the dining room, and a cocktail coupon. The website says that you are enrolled automatically. This is not strictly correct. To be safe, call the Mariner Society at: 1‐800‐547‐9139 They will add you. You can probably fib if you don't qualify. It would take more time to look you up with another line's customer database than a tile is worth. They might ask for a ship and sailing date. They make nice coasters. I've seen photos where they were used to make trays, back splashes, shelves, and even a table.

We used to take wine on regularly and always were charged corkage. It was pretty obvious because the wine had its own luggage. We typically took a red and a white for dinner each night. For formal nights, we added a Champagne as well. This would be considered "excessive" under the policy that was updated earlier this year. (We had either 3 or 4 people at our table for dinner.)

I take a Leatherman multitool, but it has a 2.5 inch blade. That seems to be the sweet spot for carrying without getting into trouble

You can have it applied to the adults only, but you have to call in. You can't do it on the website.

Looking forward to your full report. This may seem like a random comment, but you did an excellent job with your room photos at the hotel. 😃

Amazing photos! Thanks.

Clorox wipes have bleach in them and do kill bacteria & viruses. (I have a spotted t-shirt to prove the bleach part. 😔) You shouldn't use them as hand wipes, though.

I just reviewed the scans of our daily programs from December. They don't say Nieuw Statendam anywhere. I don't see that as a problem, since I did not need to have them devote space to what ship we were on.

I think we'd all be surprised by the number of casino players who pay to upgrade their rooms. True, some will take an interior guarantee, or obstructed ocean view or balcony - I bet a fair number of them pay for the upgrade to a room that's got a view or is not under the Rolling Stone Lounge. We're never going to qualify for a casino rate on our piddling amount of play, but I don't begrudge someone who's earned a comp room. The math clearly says that they're helping to subsidize the cruise for the rest of us. Now, if they could only subsidize the wiener schnitzel back onto the menu for sailings under 12 days....

For reasons completely unknown to me, whiskey with a high rye content gives me a red, flushed face. I assume it's some sort of histamine response. Neither rye bread or pumpernickel cause the reaction, only rye whiskey. I won't shy away from rye, but it definitely makes it look like I'm getting my glow on.

FWIW, the bourbon selection on the Nieuw Statendam was pretty decent. My go to is Maker's Mark because I like the rye free mash bill. It's also really easy to spot on the back bar. And it's 90 proof. And it has the handy red, easy grip neck - helpful because it's 90 proof. Anyway... The bartenders and servers on the Nieuw Statendam were great, often suggesting other bourbons to try. We had the Elite Beverage Package, which opened up more opportunities. If you haven't used this, it's a handy mash bill comparison tool. https://modernthirst.com/home/bourbon-whiskey-mash-bills/

We had slightly longer hours on the Nieuw Statendam in December. The extra half hour at breakfast was probably offered under contractual obligation to the Bubble of Awesome.

A barrel is 200 liters, more or less. That's approximately 18.2 liters per ship.

As far as printing is concerned, the print directives for CSS were being used in earnest in 1996. Maybe HAL will adopt them in time for the 30th anniversary in two years. 😉

I have an itinerary with two April 2nds and no April 1st. My wife said, "Maybe it's an April Fool's joke." I replied, "Oh, it's a joke alright."